City COVID-19 update: Health Commissioner hopeful rate of new cases slowing

Posted 4/8/20

Numbers based on daily press briefings. Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley struck an optimistic note at the city's daily press briefing on COVID-19. Farley reported that the city had …

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City COVID-19 update: Health Commissioner hopeful rate of new cases slowing

Posted
Numbers based on daily press briefings.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley struck an optimistic note at the city's daily press briefing on COVID-19.

Farley reported that the city had 505 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total since the pandemic started to 4,777. He also said there were 13 additional deaths in the city, bringing that total to 78.

"The overall good news is growth is slowing," he said. "We can’t assume slowing growth will continue. We may see rises and falls before we see a sustained fall."

Farley credited social distancing and the city and state's stay at home orders for the slow down, but urged people to continue to follow distancing guidelines and assume that the virus remained a threat.

"There’s no question the virus will surge again" if social distancing protocols are relaxed, he said.

Farley concluded his remarks by noting that hospitals were seeing an increasing number of COVID-19 case admissions, but that there are still "plenty of beds available."

There are currently 616 hospitalized with the disease, he said.

coronavirus, news